Milkshake of the Future…Now

January 14, 2011

Impulsive buyers always have some kind of trigger. It’s the same kind of trigger that causes someone to jump out of an airplane (for skydiving purposes, of course) or that causes scientists to question everything around them and proceed to find answers. My trigger? A new product on the shelves. Unless the new product is more money than I currently have in my bank account (Going to Japan to try McDonald’s new Big America burgers, for example), then this new fangled concoction is undoubtedly going home with me. I am well known for walking into a store, needing two things, and by the time I am headed for the checkout aisle (which will enevitably entail a long line), I am having people ask if I need a basket…or help. I may or may not need help, that is still under debate. A basket? Amateurs.

Dreyer’s Slow Churned Rich & Creamy Chocolate Shake was definitely dropped on the floor a few times on my way to the checkout aisle.

After reading the very simple directions, I was concerned.

How is this frozen ice cream going to magically turn into a shake when splashed with milk? My milk is good…but it’s not that good. Turn to the ingredients…that’s where it’s at. Propylene glycol, monostearate, guar gum, monoglycerides, xanthan gum and carrageenan…Sounds like a science experiment, but don’t be scared of scientific advancements. Propylene glycol helps keep the product from freezing rock hard and works with the gums to give the texture that you eventually end up with.

I decide to keep reading because reading packaging info:eating as studying:taking a test. I’m totally ready for the GRE. Nutritional stats. Not bad; but to be perfectly honest, I didn’t buy this for the nutritional facts. I bought it for…

Enough reading! Pop off the lid and…a pretty flower. How nice. After all of my research for different product development competitions and whatnot, I find myself imagining the type of machine that deposited this “shake” into that cup and the manner in which it was packaged. Food plants are fascinating and you should definitely take a tour of as many as you can find! For those of you who can’t wait and are wondering what’s going through my head right now…Check out the Ben and Jerry’s operation!

I re-read the directions, just to make sure my lack of sleep was not clouding my judgement and then I splashed some milk (measuring cup? huh?) into the middle of this stunning flower before me and reached for a spoon.

After a bit of somewhat intense stirring, I was starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Sure, there were still some pools of liquid and I could feel a solid mass at the very bottom of the cup; but I put on my game face and…

Voila! It was a little bit icy, but it surely did remind me of a thick chocolate milkshake. Creamy, blended chocolate goodness. If you have no blender, are too lazy to drive to your nearby Sonic or have a fear of washing dishes…then Dreyer’s (Or Edy’s if you live on the East Coast) has put together the perfect treat for you.

If you could invent an innovative ice cream-type product, what would it be? I would gravitate towards a product that incorporates fruit/veggies into the blended base; but in a way that will disguise it, so that kiddos (or adults with an aversion to all things healthy) can kill two birds with one stone one bowl.

The Foodie Behind it All

I'm a college student with one year left of my undergraduate degree and I love food. I also love science, so my major of Food Science seems quite fitting. I am NOT a registered dietician or certified food expert. I have established this blog to simply share my love of food and science with you.
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Let me know at formulatingfoodie (AT) yahoo {dot} com.